Snow-removing apparatus



Jan. 19 1926.

E. L. DUNKLE snow REMOVING APPAI i'ATUi s Sheets-Sheet 1 1;. luvguTon' Filed August 28, 1925 Jan. 19 1926.

' E. L. DUNKLE SNOW REMOVING APPARATUS Filed August 28, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 19 1926.

E. L. DUNKLE snow REMOVING APPARATUS 3 Sheeis-Sheat 3 Filed August 28, 1925 Patented Jan. 19,1926.

UNITED STATES snow-nmmovme APrAnA'rUs Application filed August'28:,119 2 5. Serial net 3,058.

To all whom it concern Be it known that 13 EDWARD L. DUNKLn, a citizen of the United'States, and a resident of East Brady, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have'invented a new and useful Improvementin Snow-Removing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatusfor use in removing snow from railway tracks, city streets, and highways.

" One object oftheinventi0n is provide I p p for the p voted bars 9, such 'downturned an improved form of apparatus which may be conveniently embodied in or applied to an ordinary 'railroad flat car, a motor'driven trolley car, or an automobile truck. I Another object ofmy invention is to' provide a device of the character referred-to having a scoop which is adapted to remove a relatively wide section of snow at curves,

to provide greater clearance at such points so that movement of vehicles will not-be restricted when passing around such curves; Another object of my invention is to simplify and improve generally the structure and operation of devices of thecha'racter referred to. p

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing,.wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2is a similar view, partially in section; Fig. 3 is a plan view: of theapparatus; Fig. '4; is a front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the steam jet pipes by 'means of which thesnow is melted, and Fig. 5,.is a view,- on a still further enlarged scale, of one of the jets. j e Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I- have shown the apparatus as mounted upon a platform or fiat body 6 that is supported by car trucks 7, this portion of the apparatus havingthe form of an ordinary 'fiat car. A" shaft 8 extends through'the platform 6. This shaft at each, end pivotally sup-ports onejof' thelongitudinal frame members 9 which are connected at their rear ends by'a cross frame 10 and'at their front ends are'ofiset downwardly as indicated at 11, to provide a seat for a scoop 12. Across bar 14'is secured to the platform ,6 by bolts or otherwise. .-Up-' rights, 15 and booms-16 are secured. tothe,

cross bar 14. Braces 1'7 and 18 are provided for the booms 16. A bracket ;19 extends rearwardly from the crossbar lt' and supports'a screw 21 extends. The lower end of the ad justing screw 21 has swivel connection with a pivoted block22 that is connected to the -P TE -:OF ICE.

swivel nut 20 through which an adjusting transverse bar 10 that'is secured'to the rear ends ofthe pivoted bars: 9.. As the screw 21 is rotated; it will be seen that the bars 9 are'moved about their pivot'8' to ,raiselor lower the scoop 12, so that such scoop may be positioned at'any desired height above the surface of the ground. The 'ends. of

the cross bar 14 are turned downwardly "as indicated at 1 1*, to serve aslfvertical guides ends being bifurcated, if ,desired;

A yoke 24' lofgeneral U form engages-the bottom and'sides ofthe'scoop 21 and its upper leg portions-are connected to cables 25 that extend over guide. sheaves 26 and 27 carried by -the booms 16 'and'the uprights 15, respectively. The'rear ends of the cables 25 are connected to counterweights 28 that arecentrally recessed so that they slide on vertical-pins 29 which are secured "'to the bracket 19; These'pins 29 serve to prevent swaying' or swinging of the V counterweights.

The weights 28 counterbalance the scoop l2 and the parts 1 carried thereby, to remove ex- 30 is provided with a horizontalportion .30,

such portions overlapping one anoth'er,i as shown by dotted lines inFig. 3. A bottom sheet-32 overlies the portions 30 and is provided with a ridge or hump 32, behind which'the melted snow maybe accumulated for a purpose to" be hereinafter described. The extensions 30 of the wing portions are necessaryin order to providea continuous bottom for the "scoop, when the wingsare expanded. as shown in Fig.3. In removing snow at curves, it is usually desirable to make a wider out than along straightaway track,',so that clearance-will be provided to permit .carsfto pass freely around thefcurve. The,hinged mounting of the wings 30. permit of such. widening of 7 curves;- since they can be tswun'g to flared position by means of-bell cranks .33 that are operated bypull rods 34 and hand levers 35. Sector-shaped guides 36 are provided for the levers and such levers may be locked in either forward or rearward positions by pins 37 that may be inserted when the lever is in its forward position or when it is in its rearward position, as may be desired.

The scoop 12 is provided with a hood portion 39 that is slitted vertically at 40 so that it may normally closely lie against the wings 30 but may yield to permitoutward movement of such Wings. Also, the forward edge of the hood 39 may be flared upwardly so as to encompass a greater quantity of snow.

Heat'for melting the snow caught within the scoop 12 is supplied from a steam boiler, 42 that is mounted upon the flat car. The boiler may be heated by oil burners. or other suitable, fuel. A pipe 43 is connected, to the steamspace at theupper end of the boiler, through a swivel joint 44 of any suitable form and directs the steam through pipes 45 and 46 (Fig. 2) to pipes 47 and 48 (Fig. 4)- that are provided with jets 49 (Fig. 5). Steam issuing through these'jets, under pressure, melts the snow within the scoop. The snow water collected behind the ribs33 may be utilized, so far as needed, for supplying the boiler 42, with water, to replace that whichhas been converted into steam. Surpluswater be conveyed from the scoop to a ditch at the side of the road, in any suitable manner.

The boiler 42 may not have suflicient V heating capacity to melt larger quantities of snow, and I thereforeprovide an additional heating unit for supplementing the boiler 42. This heating unit consists of a superheater 50 that is preferably mounted upon the interior of the scoop and against the rear wall thereof. An oil burning system 51 isconnected to thefsuperheater'to supply the necessary heat, through burner nozzles 52. This fuel burner unit could also b-e uti li'zed to supply fuel forthe boiler 42.

Steam from the boiler 42 is conducted, through pipes 53 and 54 to pipes 55 and 56, respectively, that communicate with the superheater at opposite sides thereof. The pipe 53 (Fig.- 1) is connected through a swivel joint 57 with the steam space in the top of the boiler 42. The pipe 54 is similar- 1y connected, through a swivel coupling 59, at the opposite side'of the boiler 42. The steam which enters the superheater 50 is thereafter conducted through a pipe 60 to tubes 61 (Fig. 4) that are provided with nozzles as indicatedat 49 in Fig. 5. Steam for melting the snow may be supplied simultaneously through the pipes 47 48 and 61 or either set of pipes may be used to the exclusion of the other. hen only pipes 47 and 48 are to be used, communication between the boiler 42 and the superheater 50 may be shut off by suitable valves, while communication between the boiler 52 and p es 47 and 48 may be cutoff and all of the steam from boiler 42 directed to the superheater and thence to the pipes 61.

I claim as my invention:

1. Snow-removing apparatus, comprising a vehicle, a frame pivotallysupported upon said vehicle, a scoop carried at the forward end of said' frame and having a rear wall, means for adjusting said frame about said pivot, a boiler mounted upon said vehicle, heating pipes mounted within said scoop, a steam line connecting said boiler and. said heating pipes, a combustion, heater mounted in said scoop and adjacent to the rear wall thereof, means fon supplying fuel to saidheater from a peint rearwardly of said wall, a secondseries of heating pipes inthe scoop, a pipe connectionbetween saidboiler and said combustion heater and a connection between said combustion heater and said second series of heating pipesf i 2. Snow-removing apparatus comprising a framework and means, for mountin the same upon a vehicle,a scoop having a ody. portionwhose side walls are each vertically, divided, a hoodhaving flexible side walls overlapping the upper: portions of the side walls oftlie' body portion and of yieldable material, and means for moving. the forward side sections laterally of the scoop in order to vary the width of, the mouthof the scoop.

3. Snow-removing apparatus, comprising a framework and. means for mounting the same upon a vehicle, a, scoop having abody portion whose side walls are each vertically divided, a, hood having flexible side walls overlapping the upper portionsofthe side walls of'the body portion and of yieldable material, and means for supplying heat to the interior of saidscoop.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of a supporting member disposed longitudinally of said" vehicle and. pivotally connected thereto intermediate its ends, a scoop sup- ;orted by the forward end of said support ing member, a beam connected to said. vehicle and extending substantially parallel to said supporting member, an upright adjacent to the other end of said supporting member, guiding sheaves carried by the out-' er end of said beam and said upright, re.- spectively, a eablepassing over-said sheaves and having one of its ends connected to the forward end of said supporting member, and a vertically adjustable connection between the other endv of said cable and the vehicles 5. The combinationwith a vehicle, of a. supporting member disposed longitudinally of said vehicle andpivotally connected thereto intermediate its ends, a scoop supported.

1,570,377 I i Y 3 beam and said upright, respectively, a cadepressed vertically for supporting the scoop ble passing over said sheaves and having in substantially horizontal alignment with one of its ends connected to the forward end the vehicle. V 7 I I 10 of said supporting member, and a vertically In testimony whereof. I, the said EDWARD 5 adjustable connection between the other LVDUNKLE, have hereunto set my hand.

end of said cable and the vehicle, the forp e Y ward end of said supporting member being EDWARD L. DUN KLE. 

